iLIBRAra OFCOxNGRESS.l 



FORCE 



RCE C1£U_LECTIQN.] ^ 

# .Q \T[ # 

I UNITED STATKS UF AMEUICzl. | 



^■^ 



A 



2^.J7 



SERMON, 

DELIVERED AT 

PORTSMOUTH, N. H. 

APPROPRIATE TO THE OCCASION Of A DAT 01 

Humiliation and Prayer, 

RECOMMENDEb BY THB 

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 

ON THB 
20TH OF AUGUST, lBl2. 






^ BY HOSEA' BALLOU, 

PASTOR 0» THE yNlVBRSALlST SOCItTf. 



PtfiuSHED BY kEQ,UjEST OP THE WARDEK9, 



FRINTED BY W. WEEKS, 
JPOETSMOlfTM, 



3/? 



# 



■P 






A SERMON, &c. 



ST. JOHN Xviii. THIS CLAUSE OF THE 35tH VERSE. 

" IF MY KINGPOM WERE OF THIS WORLD, THEN WOULD MY 

SERVANTS flQHT." 



FOR the eftablilhmcnt, building up and defence of 
any form of government, means are required which cor- 
refpond with fuch an ultimate objed. 

This feems to be the general fenfe, or maxim of our text. 
It is implied alfo, that the Saviour's kingdom is of fuch a 
nature, that it does not require the fame means for its ei- 
tablifhment, growth and defence, as are required by a 
worldly kingdom or government. 

Though the fcriptures of the prophets reprefent the Mef- 
fiah as a conqueror, in fuch language as follows, " Gird 
thy fword upon thy thigh, O moft mighty ; with thy glo- 
ry and thy majefty. And in thy majeily ride profperouf- 
ly^ becaufe of truth, and meeknefs, and righteoufnefs ; and 
thy right hand (hall teach thee terrible things. Thine ar- 
rows are iliarp in the heart of the king's enemies ; where- 
by the people fall under thee." And an apoftle faith, of 
the faithful and true, " in righteoufnefs he doth judge and 
make war." Yet we are affured that " the weapons of 
our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to 
the pulling down of firong holds ; cafting down imagina« 
tions, and every high thing that exalteth itfelf againft the 
iiznowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every 
thought to. the obedience of Chrifl." 



* ( 

I 

On reverting to the firft ages of the chriftian church, we 
find the promulgators of the gofpel not only deftitute of 
worldly authority, but forely perfecuted and grievoully 
opprefTed by it. In room of having it in their power to 
iifue edicts requiring implicit fubmiflion to the doctrine of 
the gofpel, and to enforce fuch edicts by the terror of the 
fword, they were the defencelefs fubjects of contrary edicts 
and the innocent victims of this ever active fword. So 
entirely ufelefs is the civil authority in the building up of the 
caufe of Chrift, that their alliance proved the moft deadly 
poifon with which it was ever diftrad-ed. From the fatal 
moment that the current of perfecution was diverted from 
the chriftian church and turned againit the pagan worfhip, 
by Conftantine the great, though an overflowing flood of 
chrifi:ian profeflion fucceeded to cover the Roman pro- 
vinces, an undulating tide of pagan fuperftitions found its 
way into the vitals of the church ; and, laying hold of the 
civil fword, has fet up and maintained, for ages, the king- 
dom of antichrifl:. 

But temporal governments, neceflary to fecure to focie- 
ty, and to each individual, their refpective rights, of a civil 
or temporal nature, require very different means for their 
cfl;abli{hment, building up and defence, from thofe requir- 
ed by the fpiritual kingdom of Chrift. This is implied in 
the words chofen on this occalion. ''-If my kingdom were of. 
this worlds then uwuld my fer^vants fight ,^^ Not in an unjuit, 
unrighteous, unnecefl'ary caufe, but in a righteous vindica- 
tion of an eftabliflied fupremacy, and in tlie neceffary de- 
fence of any of its rights which might poflibly be infringed. 
Had it been the plcafure of the great difpofer of all worldly 
power^by whom kings reign, and princes decree juiilce, td 
have anointed jcfus a temporal prince, with this'anointing 
he would have received the riijht to command and put in- 
to motion all the fprings of government againfl any power 
of earth, who ihould atten)pt to impede', or circumfcribe 
the juft and lawful exerciic of his fceptre, 

Ihis being the natural fenfe of thefc words of the uner- 
ring te;icher, who laugiit as never man did, it is thought 
to be a fafe fubject, on which to bt^lid a difcourfe appropriate 
to the momentous occafion of thih national folemnity. 
That this diicourfe may have a forni familiar to tlie mlndj 
the following method is propolcd : 



1. An attempt to illuftrate from fcnpturc, and fupport^ 
by reafon^fome of thofe occafions which may juftify a re- 
finance which falls within the definition of war. 

2. Apply the foregoing inftances and arguments, by 
way of comparifon, to the occafions w^hich have led the 
Gonftitutional authorities of our nation to exercife the 
phyficai force of the country, to oppofe the power of Great- 
Britain, in manner and form which are called war. 

I. The firll and mod important of all caufes which can 
juftify the means and meafures called war, is perfonal de- 
fence ; not more particularly our own perfons, than others, 
who have a natural claim on us for protecT:ion. The law 
of moral right does not clafla with that of confanguinity. 
Our Creator having placed under our more immediate 
charge our neareft connexions, by family and blood, has 
there more particularly fixed our refpectivt ])o{ls 5 though 
not in fuch a manner as to excufe us from defending 
others, when circumftances will permit. The following 
fuppofable cafe may illuftrate this idea: Tvv-o friendly- 
neighbors have their refpeclive houfes alTaulted by a favage 
foe at the fame time ; the one cannot, confiftently with 
(duty, abandon his wife and children to go to the ailiftancc 
of the other. But varying the cafe, fo that but one is in 
danger, it then becomes the duty of the other to put his 
life m jeopardy, with all his {kill and phyficai force, to ref- 
cue his expofed neighbor and family. 

There is an account, in the facred hiftory of Abraham, 
recorded in the 14th chapter of Genefis, of his putting 
himfelf at the head of a very fmall company, and refcuing 
hisbrother Lot and many others, with confiderable fpoil, 
all w^hich had been captured in war, by a combination of 
a number of kings. That Abraham was fully juftified, in 
this exploit of heroifm, is not only evident irom ihofe 
natural fentiments of duty to which our nature is uecefia- 
rily alive, but from a fpecial approbation with whicli he 
was favored on that occafion. It was on his return from 
the llaughter of thoie kings, that Melchizedec, prieil of 
the moil high God, met him and blefled him. lie npt 
only approbated Abraham's courage and con dud by his 
bleiling, but he rcrceived tithes of Uie fpoil m hich Abra- 
ham had taken. 



6 

We have a remarkable account of a war for felf-defenccy 
purfu^int to a decree of king Ahafuerus in favor of the 
jews, againft whom, through the wicked and malicious ad- 
vice of Maman, his prime minifler, he had iffued a decree 
of extermination. This decree, againft the Jews, is fet 
forth in the following words : " And the letters were fent 
by pofts into all the king's provinces, to deftroy, to kill, 
and to caufe to perifli, all Jews both young and old, little 
children and women, in one day/* For an account of the 
bitter lamentation and mourning, fafting, weeping and 
wailing which this unmerciful decree caufed among the 
Jews, wherever it was promulgated, reference may be 
made to the 4th chapter of the book of Efther. 

That eternal, over-ruling Mind, which is ever watchful 
that wickednefs fhall not go unpunifhed, nor the innocent 
unprotected, by a wife direction of divine Providence, had 
already introduced a Jewefs, who w^as the perfection of fe- 
male beauty and virtue, to the throne of his royal majefty. 
This favorite queen was viewed by Mordecai, her coufm, 
and to whom ihe wa.s an adopted daughter, as a favorable 
mediator between the unjuft wrath of the king's decree 
and the devoted people on whom it was intended to fall. 
Mordecai, therefore, fent to the queen a copy of the decree 
given forth at Shulhan to deftroy the Jews, and requefted 
her to go in before the king to make fupplication unto 
him, and to make requeft before him for her people. On 
account of a law of the court, that whoever came in be* 
fore the king without being called, fhould be put to death, 
unlefs the king fhould be pleafed to hold out to the perfon 
thus before him the golden fceptre, Efther at firft declined 
the hazardous attempt. But Mordecai proceeded to fet 
the matter before the queen in its true light, and to fhow 
her that the crifis w^as fuch that even danger ought by no 
m.eans to repel her from this all important duty, w^hich fhe 
owed to herfclf and to her people. Like a wife politician, 
he reminded her that the decree was as much againft her 
as any of the Jews, and that her father's houfe was as much 
cxpofed as any family of her nation. And who knoweth, 
fiiid he, whether thou art come to the kingdom for fuch a 
time as this, lli^^ cxpoftulation prevailed, for it was aftift- 
ed by a virtuous, magnanimous mind in her. 



Then Efther bade them return Mordecai this anfwet * 
*'^ Goj gather together all the Jews that are prefent in Shu- 
fhan, and faft ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three 
days, night nor day. I alfo, and my maidens will faft like- 
wife ; and fo will I go in unto the king, which is not accord- 
ing to the law ; and if I perifh, I periili.'* According to 
her refolution, flie went in before the king and obtained 
the token of favor. She fell down before him and made 
fupplication that the writing which had been obtained by 
Haman againil the Jews, might be reverfed. How mov- 
ing are her words. '^ For how can I endure to fee the 
dvil that Ihall come unto my people ? Or how can I en- 
dure to fee the deftrudion of my kindred r" Her fuppli- 
cations prevailed, and a decree was obtained which author- 
ifed the Jews to arm themfelves and to (land in their own 
defence in all the provinces of the vaft empire, and the 
Lord gave them vicfory over their enemies. 

The account given in the 30th chapter of the ifl of Sam- 
uel, of David's recovering from the Amalekites his two 
Xvives, and the wives, the fons and daughters of thofe who 
v^ere with him, cannot fail to obtain applaufe from any who 
polTefs the fenfe of feeling, or the powers of fenfibility. 
When David and the people with him came to Ziklag and 
found the city burnt, and that their wives, their fons and 
their daughters were taken captives, they lifted up their 
voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep ! 
How deep muft have been this wound 1 The allies of the 
city w^as before their eyes, their property was carried off as 
the fpoil of victory in war, but what was infinitely worfe 
than this, and which touched the tendered and moft deli- 
cate paflions of their hearts, was the captivity of their 
wives and children. Strengthening himlelf in the Lord, 
David foon come to a determination to put his little band 
of heroes to a noble teft. He had but fix hundred men in 
his v»^hole army, and out of them, but four hundred who 
were not too faint to pafs a water, which divided them 
from their enemies. With this handful of well tried men, 
this youthful hero plunged through the flood, purfued, 
overtook and attacked a vaft hoft, put the whole to rout,, 
and recovered all that the enemy had taken. Tlie caufe of 
jtiftice will prevail, the arm that defends it will God mak« 
ftrong. 



t 

^. Next to t^e defence of our perfons and of thofe who 
depend on us for protection, may be placed the aiTerting of 
our national rights and independence. In this is compre- 
hended, not only the defence of thofe rights, but alfo the 
recovery of them, if by force they may have been taken 
from us. The recovery of the independency of the Ifrael- 
ites, from the hard hand of opprellion, under the king of 
Canaan, w^ho mightily cpprefTed them for twenty years, by 
the counfel of Deborah, the valor of Barak, and the he- 
roine Jaei, who, with a nail of her tent, flew the captain- 
general of the hoft, who fought againil Ifrael, has ever been 
celebrated as an honorable achievement, worthy of the 
memorable fong of praife to Almighty God, recorded in 
the 5th chapter of Judges. 

For the hns of the houfe of Ifrael, it appears, that God 
delivered them into the hands of the Phiiiftines and into 
the hands of the children of Ammon, who forely oppreff- 
ed them eighteen years. But on their repentance, it pleaf- 
ed the God of unalterable jullice and unconfmed goodnefs, 
to deliver them by thehand of Jephthah. The diplomatic 
correfpondcnce between the king of the children of Am- 
mon and Jephthah recorded in the 1 ith chapter of Judges, 
plainly fhows, that the caufe of the latter was juft. The 
following w^ords fliow the ground on which he refted his 
caufe. '' So now, the Lord God of Ifrael hath difpoiTeffed 
the Amorites from before his people Ifrael, and Ihouldeft 
thou polTefs it ? Wilt not thou poll'efs that which Chemofh 
thy God giveth thee to poffefs ? So whomfoever the Lord 
our God Ihall drive out from before us, them will we pof- 
fefs." He difcovered in all this, no defire to claim any- 
right which he was not willing to allow his adverfary, on 
like principles. 

3. Next to freedom and independence, may be placed 
the defence of property, againft the depredations of wan- 
ton, unprincipled plunderers. Divine authority is furnifli- 
cd, for the defence of property, in the memorable inftance 
of the war, in which Gideon was miraculoully vidorious 
over the numerous hoft of Midianites, Amalekites, and the 
children of the eafl:, at the head of only three hundred men. 
An account of the depredations committed, by this com- 
bination of free-booters, on the produce of the Ifraelites, 
is recorded in the 6th chapter of Judges. 



That tiie bed reafon, of which the human mind is pot 
lefied, will not only confent to the expediency of contend- 
ing for the fafety of our perfons, the I'ecurity of our inde- 
pendence and the defence of our property, but will urge 
the thing by arguments not to be reiifted, is evident. Rea- 
lon alfo teaches us, that the defence of lile and perfonal 
liberty, ftands on the higheft ground for which contention 
can be juilificd ; and alfo, that the defence of national in- 
dependence ought to receive a higher rank than the de- 
fence of private property, as a commodit)/ of merchandize. 

In the infinitely w^ife economy of our Creator, it appears 
to have been his pleafure that mankind fliould afcend, by 
degrees, above the vile propenfuies and fordid appetites of 
his^hnful ftate, and that he fhould learn to appreciate and 
enjoy the bleffings fuited to his nature, by firft feeling the 
v/ant of them. 

The pains endured for the attainment of important ob- 
jecls, generally ferve to heighten the value of the acquiii- 
tionsj and a recurrence to the coil, generally ferves to per- 
petuate, in the mind, the high eflimation in which fuch at- 
tainments are held. The long and intolerable bondage, un- 
der which the Hebrews groaned in the land of Ham, gave 
fpirit to the fong fang on the oppofite margin of the fea, 
where God wrought their deliverance. Ihofe dangerous 
perils fuffered by mariners on the diflurbed bofom' of the 
mighty deep, fail not to contribute mofi: liberally to the 
joyful tranquility of the defired haven. Ihe toils of the 
field, where the weary laborer fatigues in hope, ferve to 
exhilerate the fongs of harveil and to make the autumn 
doubly w^elcome. The fond embrace, in which the affec- 
tionate mother holds her beloved, tender care, derives no 
fmall proportion of its ftrength from the forrows, pains 
and dangers which time can never erafe from her recollec- 



o 

tion. 



The fentiment which gives propriety to thefe maxims, 
has been w^onderfuUy exemplified by the high eflimation in 
which the political liberty and independence of our favor- 
ed nation has been held by the freemen of our union. 
They wifely compare the advantages of our independence 
with thofe which a colonial flate afforded ; they carefully 
treafure up, in the receiles of recoileclion, the hard and 

B 



lO 



perilous flruggle, which was encountered by their fathersV 
their brethren and themfelves, to obtain this achievement ;• 
they are more choice of the remembrance of the rich 
blood, which was fiied to gain the freedom of our country, 
than of the revenue of gold. And from their facred 
treafures, they enjoy a perpetual felicity, perfectly fuited to 
an exalted elevation of our nature. 

The law of reafon and virtue was implanted in man, not 
for the inglorious purpofe of eternal fubmiilion to Hn and 
folly, nor for the purpofe of forever itruggling in vain, 
againft them. This divine emanation, from the author of 
our being, was here implanted for the glorious purpofe of 
fubduing the imperfeftions of our nature, and to raife us 
to the rational enjoyment of the enlightened offspring of 
God. To effect this object, injustice, whkh comprifes 
all, in the moral and civil world, againft which we are call- 
ed to contend, muff be combated, in every form, in which 
it appears, and by whatever means it may operate. Nor 
are we to conlider the necelTity of this conteft as unfortu- 
nate to our race of being ; it being the ichool in which 
it was the pleafure of infinite goodnefs to inftruct his chil- 
dren, and from which, he has manifefted his purpofe, to. 
bring his many fons to gJory, having made the captain of 
their faivation perfect through fuffering. 

According to thefe evident truths, it is not our duty, 
nor can it be juftly considered a virtue in us, to fubmit to 
injuftice a moment after it is in our power to relift it with 
fuccefs. Any fubmiilion, beyond the point here noticed, 
is a contribution for the fupport and increafe of that wTong, 
w^hich we, in a criminal manner, delay to oppofe. Until 
injuftice breaks out into overt acts of injury, either to in- 
dividuals or to community at large, it is confidercd of 
a moral nature, and is to be oppofed only by moral perfua- 
iion : but when it takes a further leap, and puts in motion 
a fyftem of oppreilion, and violates the rights of either in- 
dividuals or the public, it is then the duty of every friend- 
of virtue to ftep forward and oppofe thefe overt acts of un- 
rigliteoufnefs and injullice with all their abilities, whether 
moral, or natural. Nor can we be jullified in a neglect of 
this on account of any expence which may be required to* 
fucceed info righteous an undertaking. 



II 

2. As was propofed, application may now be made of 
the foregoing inftances and arguments, by way of compar- 
ifon, to the occafions which have led the conftitutional au- 
thorities of our nation, to exercife the phy Ileal force of the 
country to oppofe the power of Great Britain, in manner 
and form which are called war. 

In prelenting thefe occafions, reference will be made to 
that faithful and luminous manifello, communicated to the 
Senate and Houfe of Reprefentatives of the United States, 
June I, 1812. The proprieiy of refering to that docu- 
ment evidently appears from the following reafons. 

1. This communication comes from the hi^-heil author- 
ity, and from a perfonage again ft whofe veracity no proof 
has eve^ appeared, and who muft be confidered in the high- 
eft fenfe bound by the deepeft folemnity, to fpeak the truth 
and nothins" but the truth. 

2. The fads there ftated, are known, by the public, to 
be true, and are acknowledged, by thofe who oppofe the 
meafures recommended and now reforted to, to redrefs 
thofe wrongs. 

3. This is a refpe^l v/hich is due to the dignified ftation 
of the chief ruler of our nation, efpecially as no honor ne- 
ceffarily attached to that ftation, has ever been known to 
be forfeited, or even tarnilhed by the author of that com- 
munication. In ftating thefe reafons, it is acknowledged 
that no refpe(ft is paid to the abundance of contumely, 
which has appeared in the public prints, deftgnedto deftroy 
public confidence in our chief magiftrate. And as the di- 
vine precept ftriclly enjoins, " Thou Ihalt not fpeak evil of 
the ruler of thy people," it is humbly conceived that no 
relped is due to an open violation of this divine command. 
What heart can remain untouched with grief, while fo 
foul a ftigma is attached to fo many, who profefs the reli- 
gion of Chrift ! The injuftice which ranks the higheft^ of 
which America complains againft Great Britain, is the vi- 
olence ihe commits on the perfons of our citizens. This 
outrage is thus ftated in the communication to which re- 
ference has been made. 

" Britifh cruizers have been in the continued pradice of 
violating the American flag, on the great high way of na- 
tions, and of feizing and carrying oft' perfons failing under 



12 

it ; not in the exercife of a bellisrerent riorht, founded on 
the law of nations againil an enemy, but of a municipal 
prerogative over Bricifa fuljecls. Britifa jurifdiclion is 
thus extended to neutral vefTels in a fituatif^n where no 
law can operate, but the law of nations and the laws of the 
country, to which the velTel belongs ; and a felf redrefs is 
alTumed, which if Britifli fucjecls were wrongfully detain- 
ed and alone concerned, is that fubflitution of force, for a 
refort to the refponfible fovereign, v»'hich falls within the 
definition of war." 

Here then is ieen open, authorifed,aDd continually prac- 
tifed WAR on the oerfons of the citizens of our country ; 
who, by this violence, are defined to experience what is 
fo very juftly expreffed in the following words. 

" Tboufands of American ci'iizens, under the fafeguard 
of public law, and of <"heir national flag, have been torn 
from their country and from every thing dear to them j 
have been dragged on board fliips of war of a foreign na- 
tion, and expoied, under the feverity of their difcipline, 
to be exiled to the moil dlftant and deadly climes, to riik 
their lives in the battles of their oppreiTors, and to be the 
nielancholly inllruments of taking away thofe of their own 
brethren." 

If to this picture, there can be any additional horror, it 
is exprclfed in the following words. 

" Britiih cruifers have bjen in the practice alfo of vio- 
lating the rights and peace of our coafts. Tliey hover over 
and harrafs our entering and departing comm.erce. To the 
moft infulting pretenfions they have added the mofl law- 
lefs proceeding in our very harbors ; and have wantonly 
fpilt American blood, vv^ithin the fancluary of our territo- 
rial jurifdiclion." 

If Abraham, the friend of God and the father of the 
faitliful, was blell'ed on his return from delivering his bro- 
ther out of the hands of lawlefs violence, will he who holds 
the balances of eternal juilicc, frovvn on America for refift- 
ing thofe multiplied outrages, committed on the perfons 
of our brethren ? To the God of Abraham we appeal, to 
him we look for approbation and fuccefs in the contell. 
Abraham is diftinguilhed by the epithet faithful ; and he 
never more juilly merited this characlcr than when he 



J3 

xnanifefted his reliance on God, in the cafes of the offering 
up of his Ion, and the recovery of his brother. Abraham 
iDcnt no time in endeavoring to excufe himfelf in the cafe 
of his brother's captivity. lie did not fay, '' it is in vain 
for me to oppofe thofe pov/erful, victorious kings ; my 
means are not adequate to the conteft ; I may pofiibly Me 
more than I ihall gain ; thefe kings have always been in the 
habit or taking inen when and where they pleafed, and 
furely I am under no obliga'ion to go to war to break up 
an eftabiilhed cuftom/' No^ the divinity of eternal juftice 
was before his eyes, and he was an ardent lover of that di- 
vinity ; yes, and he had a heart to feel for his brother 1 
And fo have Americans hearts to feel for their brethren ! 
It was enough that Abraham knew that his caufe was juft, 
by that he knew his God would fupport it. 

Hov/ long has Great Britain violated the rights of our 
(citizens in thjs inhuman manner ? See the anfwer in the 
addrefs of the minority in Coogrefs, in the following 
words : '^ Ever fjnce the United States have been a nation, 
this fubjecT: has been a matter of complaint and negocia- 
tion." Are the minority fuccefsful in vindicating the right 
of Great Britain in this thing ? No, for they thus con- 
demn her, in the following words : " Concerning the fub- 
jed of impreffment, the underfigned fympathize with our 
unfortunate feamen, the vicriMs of this abuse of power. 
Have the United States remonflrated againii: this wicked- 
nefs? Has any aifurance been given to that power that there 
was a readinefs, on the part of the United States to make 
a fatisfaclory arrangement, whereby the real fubjects of 
Great Britain fhould be fecured to her ? See the anfwer in 
the Prefident's communication. " Againft this crying 
enormity, which Great Britain would be fo prompt to 
avenge if committed againft herfelf, the United States have 
in vain exhaufted remonftrances and expoftulations. And 
that no proof t. ''xhi be wanting of their conciliatory dif- 
pofition, and no p. ^ext left for a continuance of the prac- 
tice, the Britifh go^ rnment was formally allured of the 
readinefs of the United States to enter into arrangements, 
fuch as could not be rejeded, if the recovery of Britiih 
fubjecls were the real and fole objecl. The communication 
paffed without effed." No, no arrangement can be made ; 



. 14 

e war on the perfons of our brethren mud continue ! 
Thoulands of Americans, who have a juft claim on their 
country for protection, muft be dragged into the worfl 
and moft hated captivity ! How many poor feeble mothers 
now lie at the door of charity, whofe fole dependance was 
on thefe miferable captives ! How many wives are w^orfe 
than widows, by this inhuman practice ! How many chil- 
dren are made miferable orphans by this la\ylefs outrage on 
human liberty ! If the arm of Dayid was made ftrong 
againll the Amalekites, for the recovery of thofe whom 
they had taken captive, may we not rely on the power that 
gave him victory, to fucceed us againft a nation worfe than 
Amalekites, in a caufe for which the groans of the captive, 
the pinching wants of bewidowed mothers, the tears of 
anxious v^^ives, the mifery of little children, and all the. fen- 
fibilities of our nature are now pleading ? 

Has our government violated the rights of any nation 
on earth ? Has it withholden juftice from any ? Or has 
it demanded aiiy thing more than juftice of any ? If not, 
have we any reafon to fear that God will frown upon us, 
becaufe we rely on him to fucceed a righteous caufe 1 Ma- 
ny and henious are our fins, which we are bound to ac- 
knowledge before God, and for which we deferve, and 
iliall undoubtedly receive fuitable chaftifement, which it is 
our duty to pray, may be made emendatory of our lives, 
and eventuate in turning us from our fooHfh wanderings, 
to a more virtuous and humble courfe of life and conduct. 
But it would be ingratitude to him, who holds the hearts 
of rulers in his hand, and can turn them as the rivers of 
water are turned, not to acknowledge his divine protection 
nnd goodnefs, in preferving our national government from 
lawlefs violence, and from making any unjuft demands on 
other nations. Divine wifdom will difcriminate, divine 
juftice cannot be wrongfully directed. If our government 
have done no injuftice, if the unclean thing be not found 
there, God will approve. But if we, as a people, have been 
ungrateful for the bleflings which heaven has fent, if we 
have too much forgotten God, and lived to ourfelvcs in the 
pride and vanity of the world, if oppreiTion have been 
found in the hands of the rich, and envy in the hearts of 



15 

the poor, let us riot be fo vain as to excilfe ourfelves, but 
remember that the " foul that iinneth, it fiiall die." 

Aftoniihment has been greatly excited on reading and 
on hearing fermons, whole manifeft defign was to turn the 
hearts of Americans againft their rulers, and to reprefent 
adminiftration as wickedly inclined to praclice injuftice. 
How loft are fuch declaimers a2:ainft the conftituted author- 
ities, to ^he divine direction given fpeciaily to them, in the 
New-Teftament, w hich fpeaks on this wife : *' Put them in 
mind to be fubject to principalities and powers, to obey 
magiftrateSp to be ready to every good work ^ to fpeak evil 
of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, fhewing all meek- 
iiefs unto all men." , 

In order to do juftice to the account of Britifh violence 
on the perfons of our citizens, it is neceffary to add the 
abominable inftanee of their exciting the favages to mur- 
der our women and children, together with their hulbandsl 
and fathers, furprifmg them at unawares and in a detence- 
iefs condition. This heart chilling perfidy is thus ftated 
in the communication. " In reviewing the conduct of 
Great Britain towards the United States, our attention is 
neceffarily drawn to the warfare juft renewed by the favages 
on one of our extenfive frontiers ; a w^arfare which is 
known to fpare neither age nor fex, and to be diftinguifh- 
ed by features, peculiarly fhocking to humanity." Satis- 
fa(5lory evidence of the exiftence of this wicked policy has 
been produced to our government and to the public j that 
we are under the melancholly necefiity of believing that a 
price is allowed for the fcalps of the citizens of the United 
States, of women and children, which is defignated and ac- 
cepted as an inducement to the com*miiiion of thofe dread- 
ful outrages on our frontiers. 

If Efther, the queen, could be juftified in putting her 
life in jeopardy to obtain a decree that the Jews ihould 
ftand in their own defence, and fight for their lives, the 
lives of their women and children, then the cry of our ex- 
pofed and fuffering brethren to congrefs for a fim.ilar de- 
cree, muft be juftifiable in like manner. And as it pleafed 
a juft God to difplay his righteous indignation againft the 
wicked counfel of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, in a' 
moft fignal manner, and to grant deliverance and enlarge- 



i8 

this caufe that God gave us a Wafliington to lead our ar- 
mies againft the fame foe who now refufes to do us juftice ? 
Was it not in fuch a caufe that the Aln^ighty's arm was 
made vifible, and the world aftoniftied ? 

Notwithftandina: our lins call aloud for the rod of cor= 
reclion, and notwithflanding God is calling on us to repent 
of our evil doings, we are not to fuppofe that a righteous 
caufe will be forfaken by him ; but we ought to repofe un- 
wavering confidence in his divine goodnefs, and from a 
fenfe of his favors, reproach ourlelves for ingratitude. 
Does it not behove us all to unite, according to the fpirit 
of that proclamation which invited us together, in an hum^ 
ble fupplication of the divine affiftance, in the great and 
indifpenfable duties of repentance and amendment of life ; 
to aik of our Creator his merciful clemency towards our 
beloved country, in this trying feafon of calamity and war ; 
and humbly befeech him to take the American people un- 
der his peculiar care and proteclion ; guide our public 
councils, animate our pntriotifm, and beftow his blefiing on 
our arms ? Does not the fpirit of the gofpel move us to 
implore the divine agency in turning the hearts of our ene- 
mies from their long prac1:ifed injuftice, to a difpofition 
more confident with that moral rectitude and righteouf- 
nefs which alon6 exalteth a nation ? ' 

Can we be infenfible of the necefiity of union and con- 
cord among ourfelves ? Shall we not endeavor, to the ut- 
moii of our power, to cultivate a fpirit of harmony and 
peace one with another, by endeavoring to exercife that 
reafon which gives our race of being its peculiar diftinc- 
tion, and that charity which our revealed religion incul- 
cates as one of its brightefl jewels ? May God grant us that 
prudence by which the honor, the juftice and the advance- 
ment of our national caufe may be cultivated and duly ap- 
preciated in all the circles of focial life; fo that both male 
and female may lend their ' refpecliv^e aid and fupport. 
Mention has been rnade or Deborah, tfther and Jael, with 
a hope that their cxaniplcs and characlers may influence our 
wives, our fillers and our daughters to emulate their virtues. 
You are not called to the perplexing cabinet, noj* to the 
tented field; but if you will encourage your hufbands, 
your brothers and your fons in this monjCntous confliclj 



19 

your tears of pity for their fatigues and fuffering, your 
fmiling approbation of your country's caufe, and your pious 
interceffions to the throne above, will be more than an hoft 
againft our enemies. Is not this a time when God calls us 
to lay afide the gaudy trappings of pride, to renounce thofe 
gratifications which fweii the deadly paffions which war 
againft heaven and our own peace? Let us not be deaf to 
the admonition, but, humbling ourfelves before him, cry; 
mightily that he may haften the time when all kings fhall 
fail down before him, when all nations (hall ferve him ; 
when that moft important precept of our holy rehgion, 
w^hich teaches us to do as we would be done by, may be- 
come the dire ^ingwifdom of all the potentates and nego- 
ciators of the nations. Then Ihall that long anticipated day 
of univerfal peace commence of which mention is made by 
the prophet Ifaiah, with a portion of which I clofe this fub- 
jecl, in the following words : " And it fhall come to pafs in 
the laft days that the mountain of the Lord's houfe fliall be 
eftabliihed in the top of the mountains, and fhall be exalted 
above the hills ; and all nations fhall flow unto it. And 
many people fhall go and fay, come ye,and let us go up to the 
mountain of the Lord,to the houfe of the God of Jacob ; and 
he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths ^ 
for out of Zion fhall go forth the law, and the word of the 
Lord from Jerufalem" And he fnall judge among the na- 
tions, and fhall rebuke many people j and they fh-'M, .beat 
their fwords into plough-fhares, and their fpears into prun- 
ing-hooks: nation fhall not lift up fword againft nation, 
Neither fhall the people learn war any more." 



,^^ FINIS l^^s^^^. 



Wr"' 



^ 



i 



/ 



I. 



i 



3 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




011 899 310 A ^ 



